


The Way Things Work

by BubbaKnowlton



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Gen, Implied Past Violence, Terok Nor era, Trans Female Character, babey security chief Odo, budding friendship, minor violence/threat mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:40:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21736981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BubbaKnowlton/pseuds/BubbaKnowlton
Summary: " I do whatever Gul Dukat asks, and don’t abuse the authority he grants me. "Newly appointed security chief Odo learns a bit about the social order of the station after speaking with Gul Dukat's personal aide, Tora Naprem, and makes a new friend too.
Relationships: Odo & Tora Naprem
Comments: 4
Kudos: 20





	The Way Things Work

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CastellanGarak](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CastellanGarak/gifts).



> im love my eerie trans personal assistant version of naprem so here. she is :^)  
> and brief mention of my favorite ds9 comic character, chief engineer Dulath

**The Way Things Work**

“Miss Tora,” Odo started, grabbing one of the Bajoran’s scarred arms. She stopped and looked down at him, and though people were so strange and complex, even he could tell that there was something off about her. It was easy to understand why no one really liked talking to her except for Rom, who was too much of an idiot and possibly too short to see, and a few of the Bajoran comfort women, who ignored it and focused on the fact that she was another Bajoran like them. Her eyes were empty, so dark they were almost black, with no shine or emotion in them at all. The dim light of the station did nothing to help, and her messy hair cast a shadow over her face that made her even eerier.

Naprem tilted her head to one side and leered over him. It didn’t seem to be conscious on her part, leaning down towards everyone she spoke to. She was taller than most people on the station. “What is it, Mister Odo?”

“Why didn’t you report to me or Dukat that one of the glinns hurt and threatened you?”

She stared at him, like what he was saying was absolutely insane. After a moment, she rubbed the back of her neck and asked, “And… why would I do that?”

“Because that’s how things work on this station. Harming and threatening a crew member is a crime.”

“Oh.” She tilted her head to the other side and straightened up. An amused smile broke out on her face, but it didn't meet her eyes. “You don’t understand how it _actually_ works here yet. That’s okay. You’re a smart man, Odo. It won’t be long until you do.”

“That’s the law.”

“Mister Odo…” Her hand went to the front of her neck, scratching at something underneath her high collar. “You know who I am, right?”

“Of course.” Why wouldn’t he? They saw each other often. His first day as chief of security after Thrax quit, she’d come down to his office and explained how things had worked between her and his predecessor, told him everything he needed to know about the station and offered to help him if he ever needed it. “You’re Tora Naprem, Gul Dukat’s personal aide.”

“His _Bajoran_ personal aide. The only Bajoran personal aide of any prefect. Mister Odo, we’re kind of similar. No one likes us.” She lifted one hand, and then the other. “To the Bajorans who aren’t desperate for a scaleless face, I’m a collaborator of the worst sort. To the Cardassians, I’ve got far more power than any filthy Bajoran deserves.”

“You don’t sound very upset.”

“No. I’ve no need to be. It’s the way things work on this station. I have a role in the social order. I do whatever Gul Dukat asks, and don’t abuse the authority he grants me. If I were to go to you about another soldier treating me poorly, I’d be weak, pitiful. If I were to go to Gul Dukat…”

The Cardassian soldiers wouldn’t be very happy about a Bajoran using Dukat as protection.

Though it was unfortunate, he understood. Before he could say anything, she added, “You don’t need to worry, Mister Odo. It’s nowhere near as bad as it used to be when I first started this job.”

“I’ll keep an eye out on that glinn for you.”

She was quiet for a moment, and then smiled. “You're very sweet,” she told him. Then, she grinned. “How about you come and have lunch with me and Dulath?”

“The chief engineer?”

With a slight bounce of excitement, she nodded. “Yeah! He's my friend, and he's full of gossip I know someone like you would like to hear!”

Intriguing, and he did want to find out more about the key figures on the station, but… “I’m a shapeshifter, I don't need to eat.”

“Well, I'm not going to be eating either. Dulath eats at odd times, so we usually just sit at a table and talk for a bit until one of us has work come up.”

If he wasn't going to be the only one not eating, then he'd take the opportunity. “I’ll go with you.”

For the first time, there was a bright shine in her eyes, and she led him down to one of the reactor cores where the chief engineer was just sitting down to eat.

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr: @oblio-k


End file.
